TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Manohar Parrikar government has suggested to banks to wait till a favourable government is elected at the centre to channelise money to them from the 30% sent to it from e-auction. This was among three solutions offered by the government to banks at a meeting held Monday to thrash out solutions on loans given for mining machinery, trucks and barges.
The other options were to waive of interest and part of the principal; and waive interest and freeze the principal.
“A detailed discussion was held on these loans. We have given the banks some options,” the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said today.
He said that one option is to wait till May till we have a favourable government. And as even now the Centre gets 30% from the e-auction, just by sitting down while the State gets 10%, they should given some of the money to the banks (referring to the e-auction).
The second option is to immediately work out a way by which you can liquidate liabilities; like waiving of interest, waiving part of the principle. Third option is waiver of interest and freeze the principal.
“Within two to three days they will give us rough idea,” he said, adding, “They have to work something out and come to us. Then we can come out with a solution.”
Rs 850 to Rs 900 crore is the principal with cooperative and credit societies while Rs 200 crore odd is interest.
According to the chief minister only 75 barges out of the over 250 will be in condition to ferry ore immediately even if they get business after the e-auction and the same problem is with trucks.
He said that the government would be willing to guarantee most of the amount if the banks advanced the owners this money to get the vehicles and machinery restarted.
